Everyday we miss the mark and sin…but the big question is…how does it make you feel when you do sin? If you are unaffected and apathetic when you sin, too soon the sin will become very commonplace, and lead you down the wrong path. But if when you sin you are truly sorrowful, and ask the Lord for forgiveness… He will encourage you to get, brush yourself off, and try again.
Tag: religion
Matthew 5:3 ” Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
In our mortal state, we are helpless, destitute beggars…spiritually bankrupt and lost. But if we acknowledge our dire situation, and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, He will become very present and involved in our life. Suddenly, the Kingdom of God will dwell within our hearts, and we will be taken from beggar to joint heir with Jesus.
Joshua 1:9 ” Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
There are so many times that I think I hear God, but it’s quickly drowned out by doubts and fears that swirl around in my head, and the enemy’s voice whispering in my ear…”You can’t possible think you can do that!” But it’s at that potentially demoralizing time that I take stock in what the Lord has done in and through me in the past. I remember that He has never, ever left me…and never will. Finally, I remember that if I am obedient to Him…I have absolutely no need to fear anyone or anything…ever.
Acts 6:14 “For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.”
We have been set free from the heavy yoke of the ceremonial observances of the Mosaic Law…so by not being subject to the Law any longer, it means we will not be judged by the Law and it’s impossible tenets either. For by the blood of Jesus, we have been set free from sin and the Law, and declared righteous by His unearned and unmerited favor… and that wonderful grace of His abounds for all.
Micah 7:7 ” But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior, my God will hear me.”
The two verses prior to this one state that we cannot really rely on others…we cannot even trust family members, for all humans will ultimately let us down and disappoint us. But what Micah is declaring in this verse is that our trust must solely be in the Lord Himself, and not man. Our hope must be totally in God, having confidence that it will never be dashed.
II John verse 6 ” And this is love: that we walk in obedience to His commands.”
First Service of Church had just gotten over as I made my way down to the area where we usually sat. Turning into the pew I was confronted by this huge biker…complete with black leather, tattoos, piercings and long ponytail. My first startling impression was,” WOW! You must really feel out of place in this square box Church.” He smiled and held out his hand, “Hi!”. We shook hands and started chatting, and as my husband came up behind me he heard me invite this stranger home to share Sunday Dinner. Now I must tell you that it was wholly the Holy Spirit speaking through me, because in my flesh I would never invite a perfect stranger into my home…but what followed was a miracle. For the next few years this man would eat at our home every Thursday evening. Yes, he had lots of rough edges, and his past was quite checkered…from pimping, to prison time for murder, to riding with a well-known biker gang. But despite it all, the Lord had gotten ahold of him, and he was trying to make a new start. Every Thursday night Landy and I would encourage, mentor, and affirm what the Lord was doing in his life…We watered the seed and watched God grow it. Years later, he called us to come and see him installed as pastor of a biker church in town. It was truly a blessing to see what God had done in his life.
Jeremiah 18: 6 ” O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does? declares the Lord. Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand.”
The lump of clay is thrown on the wheel and slowly worked…at a steady pace you start to shape the clay…not too fast, not too slow. The form begins to take shape, when suddenly your hand causes it to be damaged…ruined. Oh well, you gather up the clay…and you start over. God is the God of do overs. Our lives will never get to the point where He can’t do us over. The Lord will rework our lives over and over again until He deems us a perfect vessel.
Job 23:10 ” But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
The Lord understands us better than we do ourselves…He knows our behaviors and actions before they even happen. So when we are tested by Him, He is determining our true character and integrity…for He wants us to emerge from His refiner’s fire as pure, precious gold. Those tests will come…but we can come forth victorious.
John 21:17 “The third time He said to him, ‘ Simon son of John, do you love Me?’ “
During the Last Supper, Jesus had foretold Simon Peter that he would betray Him…not just once, or twice, but three times. So in this interchange at the end of the Gospel of John, we see the risen Jesus asking Simon Peter not once, or twice, but three times if he loved Him. Each time He asks this question, we see Jesus restoring Simon Peter back into relationship not only with Himself, but as one of the leaders among the disciples, and ultimately in the early Church.
Hebrews 12:10-11 ” Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
When they handed me that little bundle of joy in the hospital, I sure wish they’d given me a operator’s manual too! Suddenly you’re responsible for a tiny human’s moral and spiritual nurturing and training. What a huge task to undertake, but with lots of prayer and Godly wisdom from others you do the very best you can. Discipline is hard on both parties…those receiving, as well as those giving, but in the end if that little one has grown up to be an upright, just, and Godly person, it’s all worth it.
Safetypinlove 